6 Life Lessons I’ve Learned from my (almost) 6 Year Old

My sweet boy is turning 6 in just a few days. Those years have flown by, yet I can’t really remember what life was like before him. (oh wait… yes I do… it involved sleep) So I am savoring my last few days of him being able to count his age on one hand.

How did all these birthdays go by so fast?

Here are 6 life lessons I’ve learned from my (almost) 6 year old:

1. Be Genuine: Kids say whatever is on their minds. It is what makes them endearing and annoying all at the same time. Hudson rarely says anything he doesn’t genuinely mean. If he likes what I am wearing, he tells me I look pretty. If he doesn’t… he simply won’t say anything. Sometimes he will look at me and say ‘Mom, I love you so much.’ Out of the clear blue. For no reason at all. If I ask him what made him tell me that… he will say, ‘I don’t know, I just thought about it so I said it.’ When he compliments me or something I did, it melts my heart, since I know he REALLY means it. So now, I try to do that more often myself. When my sweet husband starts my coffee in the morning, I thank him and tell him that I appreciate it. Cause I really do. But sometimes I just forget to say it.

2. Be Silly: My son loves to be silly. He loves jumping in the pool with all his clothes on. Or eating dessert before dinner. Or making up songs or crazy dances. It always makes us laugh. He has helped me remember how much fun it is to just loosen up and have fun!

3. Dream Big: Hudson comes up with the craziest ideas. Everything is on a grand scale. He is going to be both a ninja and a construction worker when he grows up. When I tell him he can’t have something since he doesn’t have the money to pay for it he starts rattling off ways he is going to raise the money. (I’ll sell popcicles, or ask dad if he needs help with stuff and he can pay me) To Hudson, nothing is an obstacle. He always thinks he can figure out a way to make his goal a reality. Even if he later realizes he can’t… he never thinks that way off the bat. He has made me reevaluate my own goals, and I am less likely to say ‘I can’t.’

4. A Hug Can Solve Almost Any Problem: He could be hurt, tired, sad, angry, or just plain grumpy… but if I give him a hug… everything is better. That’s it. Sometimes he will just say “Mom, I think I just need a hug.” And I’ve come to discover it is a pretty good problem solver. Now when I get home from a rough day at work, I will just walk over and give my hubby a nice long hug… and it makes me feel better. Or I give my kids a hug. Turns out there is scientific proof that hugs have all sorts of health benefits.

5. Stop Worrying: The best part about being a kid is that you really don’t have anything to worry about. At least in Hudson’s world. We are very blessed and his basic needs are always met. So for him, life is good. He never stresses out about an argument with his friends, or a bad day at school… he just says, “Oh well, it will be better tomorrow.” or “I’ll just try to do better next time.” No stress. Watching everything just roll off his back is a good reminder to me. When I put my problems in perspective, I really have more to be thankful for than I have to be worried about.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

6. Unconditional Love: I never truly understood the meaning of unconditional love until I had my son. From the moment I saw that sweet face I knew I would love him forever, no matter what. He has also given me the gift of knowing what it is like to BE LOVED unconditionally. No matter how many times I am late from work, no matter how bad my cooking is, no matter how many times I lose my patience with him… he always lets me know how much he loves me.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet boy… my first baby…the little man who not only made me a mommy, but a much better person overall.

Soooo, this post deserves a share… PINNED! We (parents) always like to think *we are* the teachers, but honestly our babies are always teaching 'us'… right? Sporadic I-Love-Yous are the best!Happy (almost) Birthday to your little man. My son just turned 6, I got a smidge mushy on blog about it 🙂All the best!XOXO http://www.mrsaokaworkinprogress.com

This made me tear up!! He sounds like such a sweet and smart little guy, very optimistic and happy. I hope my boys turn out as good as him by the time they are 6! Little kids are amazing, they constantly remind us of how life should REALLY be 🙂

I got inspired by your post. I am a single mom and there is not a single day that i never say thank you to GOD for giving me the most precious gift any woman could ever have, my daughter,my child, my precious one. GOD speed and more power in your blog. 🙂